At the request of the U.S. Secret Service, eBay has begun purging the
online auction site of listings offering for sale Liberty Dollar
medallions in gold, silver, platinum and copper.

Officials at eBay indicate the systematic removal beginning Nov. 29 of
the listings is intended to conform with its policy implemented Feb. 20
banning the listing of counterfeits and replicas on eBay.com.

In emails sent by eBay to sellers whose listings for Liberty Dollars
were canceled, officials at the online auction site expressed their
regrets for having to take the action.

“The United States Secret Service has requested the removal of all Norfed Liberty dollars on the eBay site as counterfeits. ...

“Please do not relist this item(s).

“We appreciate that you chose to list this coin on our site and
understand there was no ill intent on your part. Your listing fees have
been credited to your account.”

Contacted by Coin World, eBay spokesman Ryan Moore offered the
following comment: “The listings for Norfed Liberty Dollars have been
removed as they have been deemed counterfeit by the United States Secret
Service. Counterfeits are illegal and not welcome on any of eBay’s
sites.”

NORFED is more formally known as the National Organization for the
Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code. The
group issued Liberty Dollar medallions as an alternative to Federal
Reserve notes, and advocated their commercial use.

Canceled eBay listings

Dave Gillie, who began buying and selling Liberty Dollars in 2001 and
later became a regional currency officer for NORFED, said Dec. 5 that he
had eight of his listings for Liberty Dollars canceled on Nov. 29.

Gillie still accepts Liberty Dollars at his Gillie’s Coney Island restaurant in Mount Morris, Mich., in payment for meals.

The dealer was perplexed by the government’s characterization of
Liberty Dollars as counterfeits. Gillie said in a Dec. 5 email to Coin
World that out of respect for eBay’s “coerced” decision he will not list
Liberty Dollars for sale at the website until “they change their policy
again.”